Broadband technologies jumpstart rural economies

Experts are not as enthusiastic about Elon Musk’s network of broadband satellites as he is.

Medium has some insight

“Nothing has changed except the level of hysteria and the level of unrealistic expectations,” Roger Rusch, president of the TelAstra Inc. consultancy in Palos Verdes, California, told Bloomberg.

The bleak history of projects like these and harsh words by analysts don’t seem to dissaude Musk or Greg Wyler, founder of another proposed satellite constellation, OneWeb.

Both of these tech entrepreneurs want to use their satellites to beam internet connectivity to underserved parts of the globe. This might be a noble cause on paper, but Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Vincent Chan said that people in those parts of the world might not be able to afford this type of sophisticated broadband.

“The trouble is, because it is technologically feasible doesn’t mean it’s economically viable,” Chan told Bloomberg. “Who in Africa can afford to pay $100 for service for a month? Maybe $10, they can afford. One dollar, they can do.”